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Home Grooming Your Pet – 5 Tips to Get Started

A pet is not just an animal, it’s a part of your family and it is your responsibility that you take proper care of it. Getting a pet is not all rainbows and sunshine, you have to invest a lot of time and effort for its proper health and hygiene needs. It’s natural for a pet to get sick sometimes and you must compare the pet insurance plans before covering it with a healthcare scheme.

Even more tiresome is to take your dog to the parlour on a regular basis. It can be pretty hard on your pocket too. But don’t worry, this guide discusses the top five DIY grooming tips that will enable you to groom your pet at home-

Some basic tips to remember:

Mentioned below are some tips to ensure that your pet enjoys these grooming sessions and responds accordingly.

Combing and brushing:

Whether you have a poodle, an Alsatian, or a retriever, brushing its coat daily is important to get rid of the dust, dirt and flees. Brushing your pet’s hair regularly not only keeps his/her coat lustrous, healthy and shiny but even strengthens the bond that you share with your pet. Also most dogs quite enjoy being brushed. Now brushing depends on hair length:

Long haired dogs need to brushed on a daily basis to prevent hair matting

Medium length haired dogs can have their coats brushed weekly

While you need not brush the coats of a small length haired dog, maybe once a month will do.

Hair trimming

Fancy breeds such as the Poodle or Shih Tzu need regular haircuts and trimmings to curb the excess hair growth. A proper haircut even adds to the aesthetic appeal of your dog! Most owners take their pets to a professional for an occasional haircut, but you can even do it yourself. Also check the coat for fleece and other insects.

Cutting the nails

Canines have razor sharp nails that can really cause some serious damage if not clipped regularly. Although this may require some coaxing and massaging to earn your pet’s trust to touch their vulnerable areas such as nails. Here’s how you do it:

First clean the dirt and grime accumulated inside the nails with a brush

Use sharp custom made dog nail clippers for the job

Be very careful as to not cut into their skin or the quick, a vein that runs into the nail

Bathing and grooming

Even though dogs don’t require every day baths like us, they do need to be cleaned at least once every three months. Maybe more if your dog spends most of his/her time outside in the mud. Check out the steps on how to go about it:

Use only very mild shampoos and conditioners approved by the vet.

Brush your dog first to dust off the dirt and dead hair

Ensure that the water is lukewarm for a comfortable bath

Now scrub the coat with shampoo and rinse thoroughly steering clear of the eyes, nose and ears

I am a Pet Health and Safety expert. My specialities include keeping up with important issues regarding pet health and pet care, working closely with pet parents to find answers concerning training, grooming and caring for specific breeds of dogs. I am also currently a contributor on Esprittoday.